Transmission of picture and sound on the same carrier



Sept. 22, 1953 J. E. ROBINSON TRANSMISSION OF PICTURE AND SOUND ON THE SAME CARRIER 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1948 INVENTOR.

Sept. 22, 1953 J. E. ROBINSON 2,653,184

- TRANSMISSION OF PICTURE AND SOUND ON THE SAME CARRIER Filed Jan. 5, 1948 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 17E 5 DIV/MICE CIRCUIT JD 4/ 45 44 4? y 50 E 52:-

10 Ills/r V0! 77965 VOLTAGE SUPP? SUPPLY HTTOR/YEYS Sept. 22, 1953 J. E. ROBINSON TRANSMISSION OF PICTURE AND SOUND ON THE SAME CARRIER Filed Jan. 5, 1948 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 P/CTl/RE 71/55 INVENTOR. fi 64%; MAM 4% Sept. 22, 1953 J. E. ROBINSON TRANSMISSION OF PICTURE AND SOUND ON THE SAME CARRIER 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 5, 1948 NR NN Sept. 22, 1953 J. E. ROBINSON 2,653,184

TRANSMISSION OF PICTURE AND SOUND ON THE SAME CARRIER Filed Jan. 5, 1948 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 arm/rivers Sept. 22, 1953 J. E. ROBINSON 2,653,184

' TRANSMISSION OF PICTURE AND SOUND ON THE SAME CARRIER Filed Jan. 5, 1948 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 a 0 R a 2 K7 05 5 E r i m w V M Z w a M N z 5 Mr MW e a 3 1v 1 m a M 5 M 2 M M 2 .2 a 0 0M 0 H M ZN 7a M 0w f Wm Wm f 5 A #F F mm VY Q. B 6 :1 w 5 a 3 w L a HnUI IHflF- gaff raw iii. u

ATTORNEYS Sept. 22, 1953 J. E. ROBINSON TRANSMISSION OF PICTURE AND SOUND ON THE SAME CARRIER Filed Jan. 3, 1948 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Awe 6 MLM/IWJLK Sept. 22, 1953 J. E. ROBINSON 2,653,184

TRANSMISSION OF PICTURE AND SOUND ON THE SAME CARRIER Filed Jan. 5, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 8 MAD-a Flare Patented Sept. 22, 1953 TRANSMIS SIGN OF PICTURE AND SOUND ON THE SAME CARRIER James E. Robinson, Eggertsville, N. Y., assignor to American Optical Company, Southbridge, Mass., avoluntary association of 'Massachusetts Application January 3, 1948, SerialNoAtO complicated nature owing to the fact that it is necessary to transmit not only the intelligence of each line of the picture but also synchronizing signals for controlling the scanning operationat the receiving end. Such synchronizing signals must control the trace and retrace movements for each line of the picture, and the vertical shift between lines and the vertical retrace at the end of the scanning of each frame and the blanking out during both retrace periods. Signals containing the intelligence of successive lines of the picture and the synchronizing signals are combined to produce a composite video signal having the wave form indicated in Fig. 1. .In order to transmit sound signals on the same carrier as the picture signal, it is necessary to provide sound signals which can be introduced into this composite wave form without interfering with the picture signals or synchronizing signals.-

In accordance with my invention, the sound signals take the form of time-width-modulated pulseswhose wave form is shown in Fig. 2. It will be seen that these are pulses extending only in one direction (negative in Fig. 2) and that they are of uniform amplitude except for a periodic unifornrincrease in amplitude indicated at a in Fig. 2.

In order to combine these sound signals Withthe composite video signal of Fig.1, it is necessary merely to shorten slightly the length of the signal 0 representing each line of the picture. This can easily be done by adjusting the one of the oscillators in a conventional synchronous generator which controls the horizontal blanking at the transmitting end of the system. With this slight change in the video signal, the video and sound signals are combined producing the wave form shown in Fig. 3. that in this wave form the width-modulated sound pulses are of uniform efiective amplitude, that is to say, the ends of the pulses are at the same negative voltage.

The creation and use of the combined signal shown in Fig. 3 involves a number of difficult problems:

(1) The sound pulses must be exactly synchronized with the video wave in order not to interfere either with the picture signals or the It will be seen,

synchronizing signals. The accuracy of the synchronization required is apparent from the fact that the length of the time period b from the start of scanning one line of the picture to the start of scanning the next line is less than 5 of a second. An error amounting to a small fraction in this Very short time period will create interference between the sound and picture signals.

(2) The sound pulses must be abrupt and the apparatus producing them must avoid any signal or variation in voltage between the pulses, for any change of voltage between the pulses will cause interference with the picture signals.

(3) The third difiiculty arises from the wide variation of the sound frequencies which must be transmitted and the relation between these frequencies andv the frequencies used in connection with scanning in television. The sound frequencies to be transmitted are from 20 to 9,000 cycles per second. The frequencies used in television scanning are 30 cycles. per second and about 15,000 per second. The low frequency may cause objectionable audible interruptions in the sound. The high frequency, while greater than the sound frequency, is near enough this frequency to cause objectionable beating when the two frequencies are allowedv to have an additive effect.

My invention solves these problems in a simple way by modifying the conventional television system by the introduction of additional cathode ray tubes controlled by the synchronous genera.- tor now forming a necessary part of the system.

At the transmission end of the system, I have combined two cathode ray tubes, both of which are connected to the same synchronous generator and each of which has an unmodulated electron stream, that is, one of uniform intensities. The electron streams of the two tubes are oscillated in synchronisrn; in one of them, which produces sound pulses, the stream is oscillated in a straight line, while in the other, which produces picture signals, the stream is moved at right angles to the direction in which it is oscillated in order that it may scan a mosaic screen target. The tube whose electron stream is oscillated in a straight line is caused to generate sound-modulated pulses by applying a souhd-modulated deflecting force to the stream at a point separated from that at which the oscillating force is applied, so that no beating between the sound frequency and. the oscillation frequency occurs. A further feature of my cathode ray tube pulse generator consists'in eliminating all voltage signals or variations in voltage created by the oswhich is synchronized with the picture-repro My invention includes :also. 'an' ducing tube. inertia means for generating an audio wave irom the separated sound pulses.

In order that the nature of my inventionmay clearly be understood, I willidescribe inidetail'.

the specific embodiments of my invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings'inwhich:

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are wave diagrams, Fig. 1

showing the standard video wave form, Fig. 2 i

the wave form of a sound pulse generated in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 3 the wave form of a combined picture-and soun-d signal in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 4 is a block diagram ofa picture-andsound transmitter;

Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a pictureandsound receiver in which a single cathode ray tube is used to reproduce the picture and'to separate out the sound signals;

Fig. 5A is a partial diagram of a modified receiver in which the sound signals are separated by a cathode ray tube separate from the cathode ray tube which reproduces the picture but connected in parallel therewith;

Fig. 6 is a diagram of a-further modified receiver in which the cathode ray tube'for-separating out the sound signal is connected in series with the cathode ray tube which reproduces the picture;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective of the cathode ray tube for generating sound pulses, showing diagrammatically the electrical connections of each part of the tube;

Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram of'the connections of the pulse-generating tube;

Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a standard syn chronous generator showing additionalconnections forming part of my. inventionand indicating the wave forms at some of the-generator.

terminals;

Fig. 10 is a diagram indicating-the synchronization of the picture and soundtubes at the transmission end of-the system;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic perspective of a cathode ray tube for. reproducing a. picture and separating out the sound signals, showing diagrammatically the electrical connections of each part of the tube, andF-ig. 11a is a frag?- mentary transverse section-.ofthe end of the tube showing a modification;

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic perspective of a cathode ray tube for separating out sound .sig-

nals, showing diagrammatically the electrical.

connections to each part of the tube when thetube is ,used in parallel withthe picturerepro ducing tube as in Fig. 5A;'

Fig. 13 is a circuit diagram showing the separating tube connected in series with the picture reproducing tube as in Fig. 6;

Fig. 14 shows a'circuit for recreating 'a sound wave from sound-modulated'pulses; and

Fig. 15 shows a heterodyne circuit whicl' 'm y' be substituted for the circuitiof Fig. 14.

General layout of system Before describing in detail the specific apparatus contained in the system of communication which I have invented, I will describe the general layout or arrangement of the system.

The transmitter of the system contains two cathode ray tubes'l00, 200 controlled by a single synchronous generator I0, as shown in Fig. 4. The picture tube I00 may be of conventional construction. It is illustrated as a tube of the type calledaniconoscope in which the light of the picture to be transmitted is focused on a mosaic screen .IOI forming the target of the tube uponewhichiarstream of electrons is projected by theusual. electron gun I05. The sound tube 200 is provided with a target I consisting of an-apertureplate 202 and a signal plate 203.

A stream of electrons is projected on the target by the usual electron gun 205. The tubes are provided with control grids I06, 206 which are used, not to modulate the electron streams, but merely to cut them on, and also, in'the case of the tube 200, to cause periodic changes in the intensity of the stream. The'tubes are provided I2 through a wave-shaper I2a which produces 'a' saw-tooth wave of less'frequency to produce. the required vertical scanning. The vertical deflecting means 208 has no connection with they terminal l2, but receives an audio wave from a microphone I through amplifiers 2 and 3. The grids I06 and 20B are connected to terminals I3, I6 of the generator I0 which provide cut-off or blanking impulses of slightly different lengths.

The grid 206 also receives the key impulse from the terminal 20 of the generator for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The outputs of the two tubes, after amplification in high-frequency amplifiers 4, 5, are combined at the point after the picture signal from the mosaic screen IIlI has been combined with synchronizing and blanking signals from" the generator I0- in a mixing amplifier SI. The output from the signal plate 203 of the tube 200 is a series of sound-modulated pulses of the form shown in Fig. 2. At the point 30, the combined sound-and-picture-wave form shown in Fig. 3 is produced. It is used to modulate a carrier produced in the oscillator 32, and the modulated carrier is radiated from an antenna 33.

The receiver of the system contains either a combination picture-reproducing and sound-separating tube 300 (Fig. 5) or a conventional picture-reproducing tube l00and a separate sep arating tube 500 (Figs. 5A and 6). The receiver contains the usual antenna 33, radio frequency and intermediate frequency amplifiers dI ;-3 and a detector' l l. From the detector .5 or an amplifier beyond it, the combined signalis sent to a separator or clipper (it which is actuated by the synchronizing signal contained in the combination signal to operate a horizontal drive generator 41 and a vertical drive generator 53' which produce saw-tooth waves like those from the wave-shapers Ila, IIb, I2a. The combined sound-and-picture signal is also led from the detector 44 through the amplifier '45 to the grid 306-bit the tube 301 to'mo dulate itselectronstream in accordance with the combinedsignal. The stream is given a scanning movement by connections from the generators 4? and 48 to its horizontal and vertical deflecting means Bill, 3ilil.-

At the end of the tube 39% is a fluorescent screen positioned to intercept the electron stream during the part of its -r'novement' in which it is modulated by a picture signal and asignal plate 303 which intercepts the stream when it is being modulated by the sound signal. The signal plate 393 is connected to a circuit for reconstituting the sound from sound-modulated pulses, which includes a resonant circuit Et a tuned-amplifier 5i and a detector 52, and is hereinafter described in detail. i 7

In the modified receiver shown in Fig-51 the grids 4B8, 583 of an ordinary picture-reproducing tube 399 and a special separating tube 5% are connected in parallel to the amplifier 55 so that each receives the combined 'sound-and-picture signal. The tube etc has only one deflecting means 581. This is connected through a voltage reducer 41a in parallelwith the horizontal de fleeting means dill of the tube 585 to thehorizontal drive generator ll, 50 that the modulated electron stream of the tube 599 is oscillated in synchronism with the horizontal oscillation of the stream of the picture tube 68. The tube 5% has a target consisting of an aperture plate'td'i and a signal plate 583 so positioned thatthe modulated electron stream strikes the signal plate 503 only when the stream is modulated by a sound pulse. The signal plate 533 is connected to the sound-reproducing circuit 5il52.

In the receiver shown in Fig. 6, the separating tube 565 and the picture tube tilt are connected in series. In this case, the combined sound-andpicture signal is directed from the detector i t to the grid of the separating tube 508. The signal plate 503 of this tube separates out the sound pulses as before and is connected to the soundreproducing system 5il52. The aperture plate 562 of the tube 589, which is positioned to intercept the electron stream except while it is being modulated by the sound signal, is connected through the amplifier 55 to the grid 3% of the picture-reproducing tube act, which, therefore, receives only the picture signal. In this case, the tube 589 cannot show a picture of the sound pulses, as is possible in the tube ace connected as shown in Fig. 5A.

It will be seen from the above description that the construction andconnections of the pulsegenerating tube 258 and the pulse-separating tubes 399 and 589 form vital parts of my system.'

Pulse-generator tube The construction of the pulse-generating tube 288 is shown in Fig. '7. It contains a conventional electron gun 265 consisting of a filament 2%, a cathode 2H, and focusing electrodes 212 connected to an anode band H3. The horizontal deflecting plates 29? and vertical deflecting plates 298 of the tube are separated from each other longitudinally of the tube so that they act upon separate parts of the electron stream. This, coupled with the fact that they deflect the stream in mutually perpendicular directions, prevents them from having any additive effect.

The target am at the end of the tube includes an aperture plate 202 containing a triangular opening 2M and a signal plate 203 positioned.

line 22L the opening H4. The aperture plate and the signal plate are insulated from one another and separated by a distance which makes the capacitance between'them very small. A separation of about inch has been found satisfactory where the plates are 5 inches in diameter. Capacitance can be-further reduced by making the signal plate smallerwThe signal plate 283 is made of aluminum or silver or other high-emission material, while the aperture plate or at least the back face of it is made of low-emission material. Most desirably, the aperture plate consists of metal covered with a layer of graphite. The low-emission'rear surface of the aperture plate prevents therear surface of this plate from emitting any electrons Which would strike the signal plate, or, in other words, it prevents multiplier action between the plates. I

The output circuit 26 of the tube is connected to the signal plate 283 and may contain a load resistor 2E5 as shown in Fig. '7. Voltage pulses produced when the electron beam of the tube passes through the aperture 2M and strikes the signal plate'zilt are developed on the signal plate and in the load resistor and transmitted through the output circuit.

To prevent any changes in voltage caused by impingement of the electron stream on the aperture plate 282 from affecting the signal plate or the output circuit 2%, such changes in voltage are drawn oil by a, circuit entirely independent of the output circuit 2%. In the form shown in Fig. 7, this circuit forms an A. C. path 2&6 connecting the aperture plate 202 to ground. This path contains a condenser Ell (having a capacitance much greater than the capacitance between the plates 232 and 2&3) in order that a positive D. C. voltage, such as 256 volts, may be applied to the aperture plate to accelerate the electron stream in its passage through the aperture 2M and increase the response of the signal plate 253.

The electron beam isfocused on the aperture plate 202 and is oscillated by a saw-tooth voltage applied to the horizontal deflecting plates 26? by a connection through a wave shaper lib to the terminal ll of the synchronous generator Ill. The plates 207 are also connected with a centering device 2l9 by which a D. C. voltage may be applied to them. A similar centering device 226 is connected to the vertical deflecting plates 2%. As no saw-tooth voltage is app-lied to the vertical deflecting plates, the electron beam oscillates back and forth across the target 253! in a straight I By adjustment of the centering device 226, the vertical position of this line is adjusted so that it crosses the wedge-shaped opening 2M. By adjusting the centering device 2| 9, the stream is made to cross the opening at the desired point of its sweep so that the time of occurrence of the wave is obtained by a connection from the amplibehind the aperture plate so that the electron stream may strike it only when it passes through her 3 shown in Fig. 4. In addition, a rectified voltage obtained from the amplifier 3 and proportional to the general volume of the sound is applied to the vertical deflecting plates 2%. The

purpose of this is to make the Width of the pulses.

generally proportiona1 to the volume of sound; so

pulses when the sound volume is low will be a.

substantial proportion of their width. In this way, the ratio of a degree of modulation to the time widths of the pulses is maintained substantially uniform.

When the wedgeshaped aperture 2 M has straight sides as shown in the drawings, the rela sides, thetime widths of the pulses may be made to vary in accordance with any desired function of the modulating voltage.

The tube 2% is controlled by the synchronous.

generator ill in such a manner as to produce pulses of the form shown in Fig. 2 which may be combined with the composite video signal of Fig. 1 without interference.

The synchronous generator l6 shown in Figs. 4 and 9 differs in only minor respects from a standard synchronous generator for television. provided with the usual GO-cycle phase-shift circuit A, 60-cycle lock-in circuit B,,oscillator O and with the frequency-dividing circuits F, delay circuits D, multi-vibrators MV, limiters L and mixerslvl required to produce at its outputs lI-l5 the diiferent wave forms used in a television system. The generator illustrated in Fig. 9 contains two additional outputs i6 and 2B.

The kinescope blanking impulse at the output M which is connected to the mixer I7 is a combination of a horizontal blanking impulse derived from the multi-vibrator i8 and a vertical blank-.

ing impulse derived from the multi-vibrator I9. A new output I 'c i connected to the multi-vibrator iii in advance of the mixer l'i so that only a horizontal blanking impulse is felt at the output 5. The wave form received at this outlet is indicated in Fig. 9.

The synchronizing signal at the output l5 has a wave form indicated in Fig. 9, in which narrow waves are replaced by wide Waves duringrintervals a which occur during the vertical retrace period. The parts of the synchronous generator which build up this wave form include a multivibrator 2! which puts out a so-called keying signal which is a square wave occurring only in the period a. The new terminal 20 is connected directly to the multi-vibrator 2|.

As shown in Fig. 4, the outputs I 3, is of the synchronous generator ii! are connected respectively to the grid of the picture tube I00 and to the mixing amplifier 3|. However, an adjustment is made in the synchronous generator [9 which changes the usual character of the iconoscope-blanking impulse of the output l3. The multi-vibrator lea (Fig. 9) which produces the horizontal blanking component of the iconoscope-blanking impulse is adjusted to increase the usual length of the horizontal blanking pulse so that it starts slightly after the end of the retrace period. This adjustment may easily be It is Fig. 10) and servesto cut ofi theelectron stream in the tube 200 only during the retrace period.

By' adjustment of the centering device 2l9 theelectron stream ofthe tube 2% is made to cross the opening 215% in the aperture plate 202 near the beginning of the trace movement, before the end of the picture blanking impulse and after the end of the blanking impulse applied to the tube 200 (see Fig. 10). Consequently, the pulses re-. ceived on the signal plate 293 whenthe electron stream strikes this plate occur just before the beginning of each signal representing a line of picture (see Figs. 10 and 3). No signal is received at the plate 203 during the retrace period as the electron stream is cut off by the blanking impulse from the terminal it during this period.

Although the electron stream of the picture tube Illil is cut off during the vertical retrace pe-.

riod' a (Fig. 1), it is important that the sound pulses. continue during this period in order to avoid audible interruptions in sound transmission. It is for this reason that no vertical blanking impulse is applied-to the grid of the tube 200.

sound pulses is maintained during the vertical retrace period a. Fig. 1 shows that in the standard video signal a more positive voltage occurs during the retrace period a at the time of the sound pulse than occurs during the rest of the signal during the time of thesound pulses. To provide a uniform effective amplitude of the sound pulses in the combination signal shown in Fig. 3, the actual amplitude of the sound pulses is increased Alp-luring the vertical retrace period a as shown in ig. 2. This is accomplished according to my invention by applying the keying signal from the new terminal 20 of the synchronous generator to the grid of the sound tube 2529. It is applied as a positive voltage impulse which periodically increases the intensity of the electron stream in this tube. The pulse is applied through an amplifier Zila (Fig. 7) and the gain of this amplifier is regulated so that the increased amplitude of the pulses produced during the period a is equal to the increased positive voltage of the standard video signal dUI"'..

target. It is, therefore, important that at these times the electron stream strike the aperture plate 262 so that these signals may be led oii to ground through the connection 2H5 and thus not afiect the signal plate 2%. It is apparent from the diagram Fig. 10 that the electron stream strikes the aperture plate 2&2 at the times when it is out on and off by the blanking impulse. It also strikes this plate at the times when its intensity is changed by the keying impulse from the terminal 20 of the-synchronous generator. It follows that the changes of voltage caused by the electron stream between successive sound impulses have no cheat on the signal plate 283 and therefore cause no interference with the picture signals when the sound signals are combined with the video signal.

An illustrative wiring diagram of the connections of the pulse-generating tube 200 is shown in Fig. 8.

In connection with the modulating input to. the tube 206, Fig. 8 shows a tube in which is the last stage of the amplifier 3 shown in Fig. 4. The platecircuit of this tube is connected to the vertical deflecting plates 258 of the tube 2% and also to a rectifier M which produces ina resistance 75 a voltage drop proportional to the general volume of the sound. This voltage is applied to the. deflecting plates 2%8 through leads i6, 11. In the lead i! is introduced the centering device 225.

In connection with the output from-the tube 265, Fig. 8 shows the output circuit 254 connected to a multi-stage high-frequency amplifier 4 which is like the amplifier 5 (Fig. 4) customarily used on the output of a picture tube or iconoscope. The amplifier t is connected'to an output terminal from which connection is made to the junction point 35 (Fig. l). The amplifiers i and 5 introduced between the outputs of the tubes 25% and we and the junction .point.35 serve to isolate the targets of the two tubes from each other to prevent signals on one target from affecting those on the other. Theamplifier 5 also provides an easy means for controlling (by the number of stages of amplification used) the polarity of the sound pulses when they reach the junction point as, so that at this point the pulses may have a polarity opposite to thatof the blanking signal which is contained in the composite video signal as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Pulse-separator tube The pulse-separator tube 580 is shown in Fig.

12. It is in general similar to the pulse-generator tube but differs from it in having only one set of deflecting plates 5% which correspond to the horizontal deflecting plates 20! of the generator tube and in having a rectangular opening 5| 3 instead of a wedge-shaped opening in its-aperture plate 552. As in the generator tube, the aperture plate 562 and the signal plate 553 are insulated from one another and atleast the rear surface of the aperture plate 552 is coated with graphite or other low-emission material, while the signal plate 563 is of aluminum, silver or other high-emission material. The electron stream of the tube is modulated by the combined soundand-picture signal by connecting its grid 536 t the detector 44 through the amplifier 45 (Fig.5) A saw-tooth voltage from the horizontal driving generator 47 (Fig. is connected to the deflecting plates 5e? to cause theelectron stream of the tube to oscillate in a line 52! across-the aperture plate 552. This line extends across the-rectangular aperture 5E4. A'centering device 5E9 connected to the plates'5fi'i is regulated so that, during the part of the sweep of the electron beam in which the sound pulse occurs, the beam is crossing the aperture 5% so that the voltage produced by the sound pulses is received by the signal plate 553, while the voltage produced by the rest of the combined signal is received on the aperture plate 5E2. An output circuit 555 connects the signal pltae 553 to the reproducing mechanism hereinafter described.

When the separating tube is connected in parallel with a picture-reproduction tube as shown in Fig. 5A, the aperture plate 552 is connected to ground by a path 5H5 so as to draw off the signal so that it cannot affect the signal plate 5%. When the two tubes are connected in series as shown in Fig. 6, the aperture plate 502 is connected to the grid of the picture-reproducing tube 489. The connection i made through an amplifier t5 which serves to isolate the two tubes and to prevent the signal on the aperture plate 502 from affecting the signal plate 503. An illustrative circuit diagram of the series connection is shown in Fig. 13.

The tube 356 which both reproduces the picture and separates out the sound pulses is shown in Fig. 11. Ithas all theparts of an ordinary picture-reproduction tube such as the type called a kinescope except that its fluorescent screen 35! does not extend all the way across its outer end. At one side of the fluorescent screen is a long narrowaperture box 382 containing a long slit ti t in its inner face. .The box is made of lowemission material. .such as metal coated with graphite. Within the box and insulated therefrom is a signal strip 3530f silver, aluminum or other high-emission material. A co-axial cable 3% extends out through the envelope of the tube having its inner conductor 35! connected to the signal strip 303 and its outer conductor 352 connected to the aperture box 362 and grounded by a connection H6. The tube is provided with a band BIB between the ordinary anode band 3l3 and the aperture box, and this band is maintained at a positive potential such as 250 volts.

When the tube is connected as shown in Fig. 5 so that its electron stream is modulated by the combined sound-and-picture signal, and scans the fluorescentscreen Bill, a centering device 35% connected to the horizontal deflecting plates 36? is adjusted so that the electron stream enters the slit ti l in the box 332 and strikes the signal plate 393 during the brief portion ofeach sweep in which it is modulated by a sound pulse and strikes the fluorescent screen 35H during the remainder of its travel.

The separated sound'pulses received on the signal plate 393 are carried to the sound-reproducing circuit 5052 by an output circuit 395 which includes the inner conductor 35l of the coaxial cable 355. A. positive voltage of about 250 voltsis applied .tothe signal plate 393 by connecting the resonate circuit 55 to a source of potential.

In a picture-reproducing tube, the electron stream. creates irregular static charges on the fluorescent screen and the glass and there is considerable electron splatter from the screen. It is extremely diflicult to prevent these effects of the stream from causing irregular voltage variation on the signal strip 353. Such voltage variation would, of course, prevent reception of the sound in pure form. By the arrangement illustrated, I have succeeded in protecting the signal strip 303 from such interference. Several features contribute to this important result. The acceleration of the stream by the voltage applied to the band ,3l8 assists in causing rapid passage of the electrons through the slit 314 in the box 382 when the stream 'is'direct ed towards thi slit. The box prevents electron splatter from striking the-signal strip 303. Charges produced on the box by such splatter are immediately drawn off to groundthl'ough the connection 2H6. "This ground connection serves also to draw off some of the static charges on the glass, since the outer conductor 352 of the coaxial cable is in direct contact with the glass; Furthermore, in the case of a picture tube in whichthe' fluorescent screen 351 is covered by a so-called metallic mirror layer 30m (Fig. 1111) ,the electrostatic charges on this layer are also drawn 01? through the outer conductor 352 and the ground connection 2 I B: When sucha mirror layer fifllais grounded by this means, it has the advantage of largely reducing the irregular electrostatic charges which would otherwise be built upon the fiuorescentscreen, and thus aids in preventing anyextraneous voltage effects on the signal plate 303.

Sound-reproducing circuit The circuit for reproducing sound from the separated sound-modulated pulses provides means for causing the pulses to create a continuous sound-modulated sinusoidal carrier wave having a frequency higher than the frequency of recurrence of the pulses so that it may be de-modulated without beating between the sound frequency and the pulse frequency.

The series of sound-modulated pulses are applied to a resonant circuit tuned to an integral multiple of the frequency of recurrence of the pulses. A tuned circuit is an inertia device in the sense that a pulse applied to it will create in it a sinusoidal current oscillation which decays, i. e., decreases in amplitude to zero, over a period of time dependent upon the Q of-the circuit. Th resonant circuit used in my method has a resistance low enough to cause the oscillation set up by a single pulse-to persist much longer than the interval between successive pulses or, in other words, the decay period of the circuit is longer than the interval between successive pulses. Since the circuit is tuned to an integral multiple of the frequency of recurrence of the pulses, the trains of Waves set up by successive pulses are in phase. The additive-effect of the trains of waves set up by the successive uniformly spaced pulses produces a sinusoidal wave whose amplitude varies in accordance with the energy of successive pulses. Thus, by applying the pulses to the tuned circuit without the application of any other energy thereto, there is set upon a sound modulating sinusoidal carrier from which the sound may easily be recovered by an ordinary detector de-modulator.

If the frequency of the modulated carrier produced in this wayis no greater than the frequency of recurrence of the pulses, the de-modulation will produce audible beats. This is because the frequency "of recurrence of the pulsesis-the frequency used for horizontal scanning in television, which under present standards is about 15,000 cycles per second (specifically, 15.75 kc.), while the frequency of thehighest sound to 'be transmitted is likely to run to 9,000 cycles per second.

An important feature of my invention is to avoid such beating by making the frequency of the sound-modulated carrier materially greater than the frequency of repetition of the pulses.

The pulses are applied to a resonant'circuit tuned to an harmonic of the frequency of repetition of the pulses. The pulses will then setup in the circuit sinusoidal waves of the fundamental frequency of repetition and of the harmonic to which the circuit is tuned. The fundamental frequency is then eliminated. Thus, the resonant circuit may be connectedto an'amplifier'tuned to the harmonic frequency so that the wave of harmonic frequency is amplified while the wave of the fundamental frequency is lost. -In this way, a modulated carrier wave having a frequency of at least 30,000 cycles per second is produced. Such a wave may be de-modulated to recover the sound without producing any audible beats. The tuned amplifier may beeither of the ordinary type "or of the heretod-yne type.

Fig. 14. shows a sound-reproducing circuit ineluding "an ordinary-1 amplifier. The circuit. includes a resonant circuit 50 which is'tuned, by condensers 602 and inductances 603, to thefirst harmonic (31.5 kc.) of the frequency of recurrence of the sound pulses (15.75 kc.). 'The'separated sound pulses are introduced into the res.- onant circuit 50 from the output 504 of the sepe arating tube 500. When the connection is made from the output'3ll4 of the tube 300, the arrange.- ment is the same except that the resonant cire cuit is connected to a source of potential as indicated in Fig. 11. Sinusoidal waves of the fundamental frequency (15.75 kc.) and the'harmonic frequency (315 kc.) are developed in the resonant circuit 50 and are fed to'the tuned amplifier 5|. The amplifier 5l has a three-element tube'BM to the grid ofwhich the resonant circuit 50 is con.- nected, so that the'grid circuit of the amplifier is tuned to'the harmonicfrequency (31.5 kc.). Bymeans of condensers 695 and inductances 606, the plate circuit of the tube 604 is also. tuned to the harmonic frequency (31.5 kc.) so that. only this frequency is amplified. The result is to pro-.- duce in the plate circuit a sound-modulated wave of this frequency which is de-modulated'in a detector52 and passed through'an audio amplifier 53 to a speaker 54.

Fig. 15 showsa soundereproducingcircuit :including a heterodyne amplifier. This circuit includes a resonant circuit 50a. similar totheresonant circuit 50 except that it is tuned to the tenth harmonic (157.5 kc.) of the frequency of repetition of the pulses. "The separated sound pulses are introduced into there'sonant circuit 50d from the output 304 of theseparating tube 300. When the'connection is made from the output 594 of the tube 500, the arrangement is the sameexcept' that the resonant circuit is connected to ground as indicated in Fig. 12. The resonant circuit 50a Y is connected toa tuned heterodyne amplifier 5la. This amplifier contains a tube 'HlI- in which the frequency of the tenth harmonic (157.5 kc.) is heterodynedwith a frequency of 298.5 kc; to produce a frequency of 456 kc. to which the plate circuit of the tube is tuned. The heterodyne amplifier thus amplifies only the tenth harmonic frequency fromthe resonant circuit 50a. The'result isto produce in the plate circuit of the tube 10l :a sound-modulated wave of a frequency of'456 kc., which is further amplified in an amplifier 5H) and demodulated by a detector 52 connected throughan audio amplifier53 to the speaker 54.

The extraordinary fidelity of the reproduction of soundby the system which has been described is, in my opinion, at least partially the result of the following features which arecombined in my system:

(l) The' use of the position of synchronized oscillatingcathode rays to introduce sound pulses into a video signal and toelimin'ate them therefrom; so that the time relation between the sound pulses and the partsof the' video signal maybe easily predetermined'with great accuracy.

(2) The 'use of pulses having a frequency of recurrence materially above the frequency of the sound to be communicated.

(3) A generator of modulated pulses in which separate means having no additive effect are used to determine the frequency of recurrence of the pulses and the energy of the pulses, so that there is no beating between the. frequency of the pulses and the modulation frequency.

(4) A cathode ray "generator of modulated pulses in which all variations in voltage produced by th cathode ray between pulses are drawn off to ground so that they have no effect on the output of the tube.

The use of the energy of the pulses to create a modulated sinusoidal carrier of a frequency higher than the frequency of recurrence of the pulses, from which the sound may readily be recovered by the use of an ordinary detector or demodulator.

It should be understood that in the claims which follow the terms horizontal and vertical are used in a relative sense only, as it would obviously not affect the operation of the apparatus to rotate any one of the tubes through an angle of 90.

This is a continuation-in-part of my applications Serial No. 601,646, filed June 26, 1945, and Serial No. 712,264, filed November 26, 1946.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for transmittin sound and picture signals, comprising a light translating target, a, circuit connected thereto to provide a picture signal when said target is scanned by an electron beam, a sound signal target, a circuit connected thereto to provide electrical pulses when said latter target is struck by an electron beam, means for generating two electron beams directed toward said targets respectively, means for horizontally and vertically scanning one said beam over said light translating target, means for horizontally scanning the other said beam over said sound signal target in synchronism with horizontal scanning of said light translating target, means for scanning said sound signal target vertically in accordance with said sound signals and a connection from each said circuit to a common junction point thereby to combine said sound and picture signals.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the connections from the targets to the junction point include means for isolating the targets from each other.

3. Apparatus for generating a combined soundand-picture signal comprising two cathode ray tubes, means for causing synchronized horizontal oscillation of the electron streams of the two tubes, means for causing vertical oscillation of the electron stream of one tube only, sound-controlled means for vertically displacing the electron stream in the other tube, target means in the first tube in the path of the electron stream therein to generate a picture signal, target means in the other tube in the path of the electron stream therein to generate a modulated pulse during a small part of its sweep, and a connection from each target means to a junction point to combine said signals.

4. The combination of a generator of a video signal containing blanking pulses of one polarity including means for increasing the voltage level of said pulses, a generator of width-modulated pulses of the opposite polarity including means for increasing the amplitude of the pulses, connections from the outputs of said generators to a common junction point, means for generating a periodic keying signal, and means for feeding the keying signal to both generators to control the increase of voltage of the blanking pulses of the video signal and the increase of amplitude of the pulses so that both occur in the same periods.

5. Apparatus for generating a combined soundand-picture signal, which consists of the combination with a television transmitter containing a cathode ray tube, a synchronous generator controlling said tube and a carrier-generator to which the output of the tube is connected, of a second cathode ray tube whose output is connected to the carrier-wave generator, a connection from the synchronous generator to the second tube to cause a horizontal oscillation of its beam in synchronism with that of the picture tube, sound-controlled means for vertically deflecting the stream of the second tube during its oscillation, and a target in the second tube operative without variation in the intensity of the stream to cause the stream to generate a modulated pulse.

JAMES E. ROBINSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,144,337 Koch Jan. 17, 1939 2,146,876 Zworykin Feb. 14, 1939 2,164,176 Goldsmith June 27, 1939 2,191,565 Henroteau Feb. 27, 1940 2,195,676 McCarthy Apr. 2, 1940 2,251,525 Rosenthal Aug. 5, 1941 2,257,562 Branson Sept. 30, 1941 2,281,405 Barrish Apr. 25, 1942 2,301,504 Batchelor Nov. 10, 1942 2,328,944 Beatty Sept. '7, 1943 2,347,084 Cooney Apr. 18, 1944 2,363,502 Collins Nov. 28, 1944 2,391,776 Fredendall Dec. 25, 1945 2,401,884 Young June 4, 1946 2,405,242 Goldsmith Aug. 6, 1946 2,409,488 Homrighous Oct. 15, 1946 2,419,570 Labin Apr. 29, 1947 2,437,300 Labin Mar. 9, 1948 2,550,821 Kharbanda May 1, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 527,904 Great Britain Oct. 18, 1940 564,511 Great Britain Jan. 7, 1943 621,479 Great Britain Apr. 11, 1947 OTHER REFERENCES Transmission of Television Sound on the Pieture Carrier, by Fredendall, Schlesinger and Schroeder, RC'A Laboratories publication, Princeton, N. J. (Reprinted from IRE, February 1946'.) 

